Senate begins probe of oil theft in Niger Delta

The Senate Adhoc Committee has disclosed that it has begun probing the oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the Niger Delta region of the country.

Chairman of the Committee, Bassey Akpan, disclosed this while fielding questions from journalists on arrival at the Port Harcourt International Airport over the week.

Akpan lamented the massive stealing of Nigeria’s crude oil, saying it’s troubling.

He said the country had lost huge earnings and failed to meet the quota allocated by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

He said, “Our intention is to visit every oil terminal in the Niger Delta region to see things for ourselves, the reason for oil theft, the reason for oil losses.

“We at the National Assembly believe that the local refining capacity as a result of all the bunkering issues can never be guaranteed or be sustained or be ensured by the losses.

“We believe that there are other areas where the country loses this huge revenue and resources. So it’s a serious job we are out here to do.”